Don't worry, we've got another couple of year's before the other lot might get back in to start some more illegal wars/media/file/76619.aspx.....and they'll just do it on a leaseback basis from a PPP ensuring that we pay 50x the original build cost over a 100 year term.....still, it'll look good on paper

"Structural Completion This week saw the completion of the hull structure on HMS Queen Elizabeth. Tom Niven, Head of Assembly said, “I am delighted to report that we have achieved the structural design intent, Lloyds Register (LR) of shipping being the acceptance authorities and the ACA being the Structural Design Authorities (DDAs).” He went on to say “This has been achieved through an integrated team approach consisting of engineering, LR, production, transportation and heavy handling.”

Next year will be another extremely important, and busy, year for us. Preparations for flood up will increase significantly in the first quarter, and work on HMS Prince of Wales will continue to ramp up with blocks starting to make their way to Rosyth in the second part of 2014. "

Ian Booth (Programme Director, 18 November 2013) : “By the end of this year HMS Queen Elizabeth will be structurally complete and she will be afloat next summer. Handover in 2017 will see her well on track to meet the target of flying jets from her in 2018. HMS Prince of Wales will follow closely behind with both ships in the hands of the Royal Navy by the end of 2019.”

Readmarx:You know, they really should privatise the MOD and stream its funding directly from the private capital markets and then lease the products back to the crown.

That way everything would be done on time, perfectly functional, no waste and taxpayers wouldn't have to pour billions into private defence contractors pockets....

i can't work out if that is sarcasm or delusion

And that reminds me...

I was watching Star Wars VI this evening and Darth Vader arrived at the Death Star under construction. DV says I'm here to motivate you to get on with it (I paraphrase) and the head project manager says but were going as fast as we can to which DV replies maybe I have better motivational techniques than you, so head honcho replies we'll redouble our efforts. Just to hammer home the message DV comes back with let's hope that's enough as the emperor is on his way and he is LESS forgiving than me.

I suppose it's not a good response to thing I wish I had DV as one of my programme managers....

They shipped sections of the carriers past here .. saw one from the cliff top, bloody massive ... it was a mile or two offshore and it dwarfed even the biggest vessels we see. And that was only a bit of one.

"The UK is about to commit to the F-35 fighter project, a US-led effort to produce 3,000 aircraft which is set to cost more than £600bn globally.

The initial UK order for 14 F-35Bs will, with support costs added, cost about £2.5bn, Newsnight has learned.

The F-35 programme is central to the future of the Royal Navy and the military aerospace sector of the economy, but it has been plagued by development problems, is years late into service and the true cost to the UK is only just becoming clear.

With 8.4m lines of software, it is by far the most complex fighter ever built, but a Pentagon inspector's report stated that by last summer only 2% of that code was fully up to standard. Much of the plane's software, including that needed to aim and launch weapons, remains to be proven in tests.

Newsnight understands that the first 14 aircraft will be bought for £58m ($96m) apiece. However, once spares, maintenance and initial support are included, the price will be much higher.

One Pentagon estimate last year for an aircraft plus support costs for the first few years came out at £154m ($253m) each.

There will be updates of software throughout the life of these aircraft, adding capability as well as dealing with any specific issues that arise when the aircraft is in use."

Last year was a fantastic year for the programme with the team overcoming many challenges to have a structurally complete Ship 01 in number 01 dock in Rosyth. The team worked extremely hard on renegotiating the baseline contract to STOVL whilst ensuring the programme remained on track. The block build of Ship 02 commenced well with lessons learnt from Ship 01 being applied. This is something we should all be immensely proud of.

The team have had a good rest over Christmas, and after the first month back I am encouraged by the ability, strength and motivation the team have to confront the challenges ahead.

This year will be another busy year for the programme; with attention for the first part of the year being focussed on preparation for Ship 01 to be afloat this summer. Seeing this will be a huge achievement, and something I am personally looking forward to. The emphasis will then shift to outfitting and handing systems onto the commissioning team where we will really get to see the Ship come alive.

Almost as soon as Ship 01 is afloat and has moved to J berth we will have the arrival of Ship 02 blocks, meaning we will have both Ships in Rosyth and will be entering into the most intense phase of the programme.

Although there is a lot going on at Rosyth in the coming year, there is also superb work going on around the UK. Teams are working hard on the block delivery for Ship 02, along with teams working to deliver our sub-systems; power and propulsion, and mission systems which are integral in making our Ships warships that the Royal Navy can be proud of.

2014 is a year driven around operational and technical delivery and ensuring that everyone keeps focussed on the delivery of our programme.

But wait. D23 ? Er that is/was the designation for HMS Bristol ! And she was paid off in 1991 and is now permanently berthed at Whale Island. Something very fishy going on here. Explanations please Admiral.

It's one almighty great gravy train but ultimately it's Whitehall's bloody civil servants and the their bosses, the politicians, who are to blame for these endless financial fiascos. This scenario has been played out time and time again when it comes to military procurement.

These people don't give a flying f!$% about our taxes being misspent and until all tendering companies face huge financial penalties for their mismanagement, where it's not a change in spec that is to blame, then this outrageous waste of money will continue to be repeated.

It's this simple; give a ministry a project, big or small, and they'll f!$% it up for sure. Why is it that politicians, civil servants, or anybody in government for matter, isn't on a performance related contract...the concept of failure being rewarded is abhorrent. The same goes for those gigantic, mutli-national consortiums too - f!$%ers the lot.

Deadloud:They shipped sections of the carriers past here .. saw one from the cliff top, bloody massive ... it was a mile or two offshore and it dwarfed even the biggest vessels we see. And that was only a bit of one.

I got to see this cruising by when it was going up the west coast to be mothballed/displayed. Guess it's in Pearl Harbor now close by the Arizona memorial. That battleship just kept getting larger and larger as it went past a small group of us as we watched from atop a hill a couple miles away. Hear it's just short of 900 ft long...

So we've sort of agreed to give the thing to the USians then? That makes sense, after all DC is most upset that he doesn't have a special relationship with Obama like what dear old Tone had with Dubya.

nope only one detachment..in the same way that we have a detachment of ex harrier pilots (RN and RAF) on deployment on USN aircraft carriers, in readiment to continue carrier ops when the F35 gets delivered, after conversion training

Deadloud:They shipped sections of the carriers past here .. saw one from the cliff top, bloody massive ... it was a mile or two offshore and it dwarfed even the biggest vessels we see. And that was only a bit of one.

I got to see this cruising by when it was going up the west coast to be mothballed/displayed. Guess it's in Pearl Harbor now close by the Arizona memorial. That battleship just kept getting larger and larger as it went past a small group of us as we watched from atop a hill a couple miles away. Hear it's just short of 900 ft long...